Gay Wellington

Gay Wellington

New Zealand is particularly suited to nature lovers and outdoor sports enthusiasts. Sailing, swimming and surfing are popular on the smaller North Island, where you’ll find the capital city of Wellington.

Wellington’s geographical position was the major deciding factor in the transfer of the seat of government from Auckland in 1865. But Wellington isn’t just the political capital — it’s the cultural capital as well. It has a sophisticated and stylish population that rivals that of any major city. It’s also known for its outlandish art galleries and its outstanding restaurants.

The gay community is part of the social fabric here, and people's views on sexual orientation and gender diversity owe a lot to traditional Maori norms. With growing interest in the early history of the islands, a Maori name originally referring only to North Island, Aotearoa, is now widely used for the whole country; and seen in the names of national organizations such as Uniq Aotearoa, the association of queer student groups.

Takatāpui (intimate partner of the same sex) relationships between men had been a familiar part of life before the arrival of the Europeans. In 1840, when New Zealand became a colony, British law made sex between men illegal. In 1986 gay sex was decriminalised. Same-sex civil union laws came into effect in 2005, and in 2013 this became the fifteenth country to allow same-sex couples to marry. Members of parliament are now openly gay.

Out in the Park opens two weeks of Wellington Pride with a day of onstage entertainment of talented local singers, drag queens and kings, comedians, and circus performers, plus food vendors and community organizations.

The Airport Flyer express bus service operates between the southern end of the airport Level 0, to Wellington Railway station, every 10 minutes at prime times daily, otherwise every 20 minutes. The fare is $9 each way (as of Sept 2017).

Getting around

This is an incredibly walkable city, with pedestrian-only streets everywhere. Rent a car only if you are exploring the countryside or headed to the beach -- this is a left-side of the road driving country. Wellington public transportation includes buses, trains and ferries - for information see the Metlink website.

One of the must-see sights is Te Papa Tongarewa, known in English as the Museum of New Zealand. It tells the history of the island, its diverse peoples, and the historic connections to other Pacific islands, all the way to Hawaii.

Currency and Money

The local currency is the New Zealand dollar, known colloquially as the kiwi because there’s an image of the bird on the coins. ATMs are easy to find in the downtown area.

Media & Resources

The gay magazine Express has a news and cultural coverage. Gay NZ had up-to-date listings, but closed on May 31, 2017. Their archive of over 18,000 news stories and features have been captured by LAGANZ, the Lesbian And Gay Archives of New Zealand. Rainbow Wellington has information about local events.

The guys at the popular Aaron & Andy blog decided to close in 2012, but archives can be seen for a short time.

Te Ara is building a comprehensive guide to the peoples, natural environment, history, culture economy and society of these islands.